Laughing through the changes and accepting what life has for me after retirement. My elevator might be going down, but I plan to get off on every floor, even if it's just for plumbing supplies.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Christmas in New York

Enjoying warm weather and doing OK

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like New York at Christmas time. It is MAGIC. Last Wednesday, accompanied by my 10 year old granddaughter, I went on a bus trip (2 1/2 hours) to the Big Apple to see the show at Radio City Music Hall and enjoy some of the sights. There was so much I wanted to share with her, but time was limited, so I decided to curtail our activities to the Rockefeller Center area. We started off with a visit to the Lego store, then a walk-about to see the Christmas tree that was to be lighted that evening in an celebrity-filled ceremony. There was hubbub all about and it was fun to watch all the preparations as lighting and props were assembled. We dined in the cafe looking out on to the stage (which is usually a skating rink), and my granddaughter and I delighted in all the activities.

Next stop was the Top of the Rock, otherwise known as 30 Rock. After a brief movie about the skyscraper, up we went in an elevator to 850 ft above street level. From the observatory, we could look over the whole city and take in all its magnificence. I have to admit though, I had few butterflies in my stomach looking out at that height. But it was cool!

When we got to street level, we were off to look at some of New York's
holiday decorated windows. We stopped at Saks and passed by American Girl Store.
Well, we did more than pass by the latter, we went inside just to see what it
was like. As we entered, we were greeted by a lady with her three children who
remarked that my granddaughter, with her long, waist length blond hair and blue
eyes was the real American Girl Doll. She looked at her daughters and said that
they should have invited their grandmother along so"Bubbe" could buy them AG
stuff, which she assumed, I was there to do. I shook my head because I knew
that my gd had no interest in dolls and therefore my life savings was not in
jeopardy. The store has 4 floors, but by the time we got through half of the
first, she was in love. However, that little girl who is not so little any
more, told me she just liked the look of them but really did not want one,
"Really, really, no Mamama, I don't need one". I will take her at her word.

We had one last stop before the show and it was the famous bakery, Magnolia's. We bought a dozen of their famous cupcakes to bring home and share with the family. I never ate one, but I did lick the icing off my fingers when I passed them out when we got home, and the word "heaven" comes to mind. That lick was probably 2000 calories, and worth every one of them.

I have to say that when we arrived at Radio City Music Hall, I was disappointed. I grew up in New York, albeit the Bronx and not Manhattan, but I have memories of that great theater and of the wonderful times we had when my parents took us there. It looked a little shabby to me now and certainly not as elegant as I had remembered. The lobby was beautiful with it's crystal tree hanging from the ceiling, but if you look at the picture closely, you will notice "Chase" written across the wreath in the background. How sad that today we are bombarded with advertising everyplace we look. When we got inside, there were no chandeliers like I thought I remembered, but rather a modern, dull, rather ugly stage and facade. Lights gave the look of snowflakes on the walls, but there also was the word "Chase" scrawled on both sides. The day may come soon when "Coke" or "Honda" may be superimposed on Lady Liberty's derriere.

At four o'clock it was time to head home. There was already a large crowd gathering at Rockefeller Center for the nights festivities. By 7 pm, a quarter of a million people would be there. Leaving early made it very easy to get out of the city, as there was little traffic going that way. The traffic coming in though was a different story. As much as I would have loved to have stayed in town for a little longer, I was delighted to miss the mob.

Going to the Big Apple in December, awesome; having great weather (in the 60's), outstanding; spending a day with my granddaughter and showing her the sights I remember, PRICELESS. My heart overflowed with emotion.

The New York my grandparents, parents and I grew up in years ago.

Oh wait, is that my dad in his Fedora, standing in the park, or waiting for the light to change, yes, yes, I see him. Oh, he is so handsome!

Dear Arleen, I'm coming down with a cold--stiff neck, runny nose, headache--so I'm not at my best right now. I'm not thinking well, but was the background music for the nostalgic video "Greensleeves"?????? It's so familiar but the synapses in the brain aren't working.

As to "Chase." Everything seems to come down to advertising today. Big business is running everything--even the government through lobbyists. Or so I think. Maybe it's just the cold speaking!

I'm so glad you and your granddaughter experienced this lovely outing together. A magical memory for both of you.

You are so right! New York at Christmas time is the best. What an awesome day with your gd. Was that her first time there? I bet she was amazed. It was my first time last weekend and I fell in love with the big city. I can't wait to go back next year! Maybe we could meet for lunch. :-)

Tracy Jo - This is the second time that I have taken my granddaughter to NY. Three years ago I took her and her sisters there to see The Lion King. After paying almost $600 for tickets and thinking the show was magnificent, and hoping they would be so excited about seeing it, they told me they liked the DVD better. She was 7, and her sisters were 5 and 9 and they really wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. That would have been a more inexpensive trip. Now they are older and appreciate things much more. This time she had a blast and loved being chosen to take this trip with me.

I haven't been to New York, so I especially loved this post and the youtube video. What a magical place! Someday, I hope to visit and now I'd like to visit in December, something I would have never thought about.

So glad you had such a special time with your granddaughter. She is old enough to always remember and cherish this memory of time spent with her beloved grandma!

My Story, as of now

It's been six years now since I retired and you would think I would be through the "adjustment period". Some days I am, and others I am not. I like to think I have reinvented myself, however, rust keeps appearing around the edges. Aging is a surprise to me as I thought I would always be young. But life moves on and as I plod forward, I find that there are many more adventures and joys to be had. They just may take a little more effort to find, but heck, I have the time.